Happy 3rd Birthday Oldbury Writing Group

Post date: 22nd August 2017

Today (22nd August 2017) marks Oldbury Writing Group’s third birthday. I can’t believe that it’s been three years since I joined this writing group. Over the years we have done so many amazing things, and I have developed as a writer, especially when it comes to reading my work out to an audience.

It doesn’t seem that long ago when I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone and join a group of strangers. I had started writing again in early 2012. It had been at a time where I had felt lost and unsure about my future. I’m a planner, but nothing had gone to plan, so I was left with not knowing what else to do. That’s when I decided to start writing again. I found free courses online (some of them aren’t available anymore, so I’m not sure they were meant to be free hehe) and after writing some short stories, I decided to try to get them published. I eventually received a story acceptance, and then began my rollercoaster ride of a journey. But I was still missing one thing: I didn’t have anyone to share my writer lows and highs with. I have my momsi who has always been supportive of my writing dream – she even reads my horror stories for me, even though they freak her out. However, it’s hard for a non-writer to understand what it’s like to be a writer. And that’s when I decided that I needed to join a writing group. I had heard many stories about writing groups, some good, and some bad, but I was still determined to find one, feeling that the positives outweigh the negatives. It was while I was on Facebook scrolling through the posts when I spotted an advert for a writing group in my local library. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like fate, especially as I hadn’t even started properly looking for a group, and right there in front of me was an advert for a writing group. So after noting down the details, I decided to join.

The days before the first meeting, I have to admit, I was terrified, I didn’t know what to expect. I feared that no one would like me, or all the negatives I had heard would happen: people would tear my stories to shred, or I would be the only person who wanted to join. But I didn’t allow my fears to stop me. When the day came, I made my way to the library to join the writing group, and I am so happy that I did. I have written about my first meeting experience in my ‘The Writing Group Experience’ blog post, so I won’t bore you with the full story again.

Being a member of the Oldbury Writing Group has helped me to grow as a writer and as a person. I now call myself a writer, and I read out my stories to an audience without reading as fast as Usain Bolt runs. I have found my voice – I no longer sit in the back and keep quiet. And I have the support and encouragement that I have always needed. Also, I have met some wonderful, and talented people, who I now consider as friends. Writing can be a lonely job, but thanks to the Oldbury Writing Group, I’ll never have to feel alone again. I always look forward to our Saturday meetings and group trips; they are the highlight of my week.

So, happy birthday, Oldbury Writing Group. I hope we have many more amazing years ahead of us. And I would like to thank all the individual members because it’s them who make the Oldbury Writing Group so special. Oh, and I need to thank Angie (our great leader) because if it wasn’t for her deciding to start the group, we would have never met. It’s funny how life turns out.